defile

To defile is defined as to make something unclean, either literally or figuratively.

When you scribble over a beautiful painting, this is an example of a situation where you defile the painting.

defile

-·filed′, -·fil′ing

to make filthy or dirty; pollute

to make ceremonially unclean

to corrupt

to profane or sully: defiled his good name

to violate the chastity of; deflower: now an old-fashioned or literary use

Origin of defile

Middle English defilen, altered (by associated, association with filen, to make foul ; from Old English fylan ; from ful, foul) ; from defoulen ; from Old French defouler, to tread underfoot, insult ; from de-, intensive + fouler ; from Medieval Latin fullare, to tread, full

-·filed′, -·fil′ing

to march in single file or by files

Origin of defile

French défiler, to file off, unravel ; from dé- (L de), from + filer, to form a line ; from fil, thread: see file

a narrow passage through which troops must defile

any narrow valley or mountain pass

a march in single file or by files

Origin of defile

Fr défilé < the v.

defile

transitive verb

de·filed, de·fil·ing, de·files

To make filthy or dirty; pollute: defile a river with sewage.

To debase the pureness or excellence of; corrupt: a country landscape that was defiled by urban sprawl.

To profane or sully (a reputation, for example).

To make unclean or unfit for ceremonial use; desecrate: defile a temple.

To have sexual intercourse with (a woman who is a virgin).

Origin of defile

Middle English defilen, alteration (influenced by filen, to befoul, from Old English f&ymacron;lan; see p&ubremac;- in Indo-European roots) of defoulen, to trample on, abuse, pollute, from Old French defouler, to trample, full cloth : de-, de- + fouler, to trample, beat down; see full2.

Related Forms:

de·file′ment

noun

de·fil′er

noun

intransitive verb

de·filed, de·fil·ing, de·files

To march in single file or in files or columns.

noun

A narrow gorge or pass that restricts lateral movement, as of troops.

A march in a line.

Origin of defile

French défiler : dé-, away, off (from Old French de-; see de–) + file, line, file (from Old French filer, to spin thread, march in line; see file1). N., from French défilé, from past participle of défiler.

Sentence Examples

The carriage-road from Athens to Thebes crosses the range by a picturesque defile (the pass of Dryoscephalae, "Oak-heads"), which was at one time guarded on the Attic side by a strong fortress, the ruins of which are known as Ghyphto-kastro ("Gipsy Castle").

It is picturesquely situated in a shallow defile of the Chiltern Hills, towards their western face.

Next follows (viii.-xi.) a detailed description, in the form of a vision, of the sin of Jerusalem: within the temple-area elders and others are worshipping beastforms, Tammuz and the sun (probably actual cults of the time); men approach to defile the temple and slay the inhabitants of the city (ix.).

Separated from the Jura by the defile of Belfort (Troue de Belfort) the Vosges extend northward parallel to the course of the Rhine.

The Rhne, the source of which is in Mont St Gothard, in Switzerland, enters France by the narrow defile of LEcluse, and has a somewhat meandering course, first flowing south, then north-west, and then west as far as Lyons, whence it runs straight south till it reaches the Mediterranean, into which it discharges itself by two principal branches, which form the delta or island of the Camargue.